ANDY STANKIEWICZ
"Andy Stankiewicz, the Yankees' diminutive infielder, certainly knows how to make an entrance.
Making the 1992 Opening Day roster in place of the injured Mike Gallego, Stankiewicz never looked back. Stanky dazzled Yankee Stadium denizens with his steady play in the field and timely hits at the plate all season.
His play at shortstop conjured up images of the Scooter, Phil Rizzuto, and he immediately became a fan favorite. He also filled in admirably at second when Pat Kelly went down with an injury.
After six years in the Yankees' minor league system, the infielder never lost faith in his ability to someday play in the majors.
'I always believed if I was good enough to make it to the major leagues I'd get there sometime soon,' he says. 'I always believed I was good enough.'
The 28-year-old Pepperdine product became the first Yankee rookie with at least 100 hits (107) since Willie Randolph in 1976. He hit .268 in 116 games and quickly became the sparkplug at the top of the order.
'I got off to a good start and that helped,' Stankiewicz explains of his first days in the majors. 'Most of the people in New York kind of knew my story, a guy who's been in the minors a few years, the underdog kind of thing.' "
-The New York Yankees Official 1993 Yearbook
"His outstanding play in spring training earned him his first action in the major leagues in 1992 after six years in the minor leagues. Stankie defied long odds, hitting .400 in 20 spring training games with a home run (grand slam) and five RBIs. He was added to the 40-man roster just minutes before first pitch on Opening Day when Mike Gallego went to the disabled list. Andy was the only rookie to begin the season on the Yankee roster. He stayed with the club for the entire season, hitting .268 in 116 games.
Andy made his major league debut on April 11 at Detroit, striking out as a pinch hitter against Mike Munoz. His first major league start came on April 14 at Toronto, at second base, going 1-for-3 with an RBI- he singled off Juan Guzman in the 4th inning for his first major league hit and RBI. He made his first start at shortstop on April 18 against Cleveland and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
On April 24 at Chicago, he reached base four times (3 BB, 1 HBP). On April 24 against Baltimore, went 2-for-3 with a solo homer (1st MLB homer) off Alan Mills and raised his batting average to .300. Andy had a string of four straight multi-hit games from April 24-27 (8-for-17) to raise his average to a season high .353.
He started regularly at second base with Pat Kelly on the disabled list from April 21-May 7. Andy did not play from May 5-11 with tightness in his right hamstring. He returned with a vengeance on May 12, starting the next three games (7-for-14), raising his average from .309 to .348.
Placed on the 15-day DL on May 16 with tightness in his right hamstring, Stankie had hit in seven straight games (12-for-30) and had reached base safely in 15 straight (21-for-55, 7 BB). The streak ended upon his activation from the DL on May 31 at Milwaukee when he took an 0-for-4. Andy had hit .353 for the month of May.
Andy took over the regular shortstop job in June, starting 26 of the 28 games at the position. He hit in his first five games in June (8-21) as his average reached the .340 mark. He hit in 10 of his next 13 games, but an 0-for-3 on June 22 at Baltimore brought his average below .300 for the first time since April 22. Andy had gone 31 games at or above .300. He resumed his torrid hitting from June 23-25 with eight hits in 11 at-bats, lifting his average to .321.
Included was Andy's first four-hit game, June 24 at Kansas City, a 4-for-5 performance. On June 27 against Chicago, he belted his second home run of the season, a solo shot off Robert Hernandez. He added a single, a game-tying double and three RBIs in a come-from-behind 8-7 Yankee win. Andy hit .295 for the month of June.
On July 8 against Minnesota, he took a 0-for-3 tumble, leaving his batting average under .300 for the rest of the season. He went into the All-Star break hitting .290. He started 24 games in July (20 SS, 2 2B) but hit only .188 as his season average dipped to .265.
He resumed more of a utility role in August, making 18 starts (10 SS, 8 2B) and hitting .290 for the month. On September 4 against Texas, he had his first three-hit game since July 19. On September 7 at Baltimore, he contributed a game-winning bases-loaded walk in the 13th inning. Andy hit .254 in September/October, making 16 starts. His average remained consistent, as he did not fall below .265 nor rise above .276 from July 25 through the end of the season.
Stankiewicz became the first Yankee rookie since Willie Randolph in 1976 to have at least 100 hits. He started 63 games as the leadoff hitter and hit .274 in that role. He hit .304 with runners in scoring position, second best on the club behind Don Mattingly, and his nine stolen bases ranked second on the team.
He hit .290 in the first half of the season and .239 after the All-Star break; he hit .295 at the Stadium and .238 on the road; hit .296 in day games as opposed to .253 under the lights; hit .272 against left-handed pitchers and .265 against right-handers, and hit .340 on artificial turf and .257 on grass.
He made 103 starts overall (7th on the team), 78 at shortstop, 25 at second base. He had a .993 fielding percentage at second base and .973 at shortstop. Andy did not make an error in 15 games on artificial turf.
Baseball America ranked him as the 14th best among 1992 major league rookies.
He signed a contract for the 1993 season.
Andy was the Yankees' 12th round pick in the regular phase of the June 1986 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Orrin Freeman. He played 59 games with the Class-A Oneonta Yankees, where he batted .296 with eight doubles and 17 RBIs in his first professional season.
Spending the entire 1987 season at Class-A Ft. Lauderdale, Andy hit .307 in 119 games with 26 stolen bases, 18 doubles, seven triples, two home runs and 47 RBIs. He was named to the Florida State League All-Star team.
Andy started the 1988 season with the AA Albany-Colonie Yankees and was promoted to Columbus. With Albany, he hit .268 over 109 games with 20 doubles, two triples, a homer, 34 RBIs and 15 stolen bases and was named to the Eastern League All-Star team. He was promoted to Columbus and hit .219 in 29 games.
Andy spent the 1989 season with Albany and was named to the Eastern League All-Star team. He hit .267 over 133 games and led the Eastern League in runs (74), stolen bases (41) and sacrifice flies (11), was second in at-bats (498), third in hits (133) and tied for third in doubles (26).
Among second basemen, Andy led the league in games (133), total chances (615), putouts (242), assists (369) and double plays (85). He had a streak of 93 errorless games which was snapped on July 23 against Harrisburg.
Andy spent the entire 1990 season at Columbus, his first full season at AAA. He hit .229 with 48 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 32 attempts. He was among the club leaders in several categories: second in games (135), at-bats (446) and walks (71) and third in stolen bases. He was named Clipper of the Month for April when he hit .304 with 14 RBIs.
He split time between second base (73 games) and shortstop (68 games). An outstanding defensive player, Andy made only 10 errors in 646 chances, a .984 fielding percentage; he made only two errors at second base all year (.994).
In 1991 Andy spent his second full season with the AAA Columbus Clippers. Over 125 games, he hit .272 while stealing 29 bases. A versatile player, Andy saw action at second base (81 games), shortstop (31 games) and at third base (8 games). He also pitched once, allowing a hit and a walk in a third of an inning.
Andy graduated from Pepperdine University in California with a BA in sociology. His teammates included Chad Kreuter and Mike Fetters.
He graduated from St. Paul High School (CA) in 1982 where he played baseball, basketball and football. He played Little League as a youth.
Andy enjoys the music of Terry Clark. His favorite show is The Rifleman [starring former major leaguer Chuck Connors]."
-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide
Named to Florida State League All-Star team, 1987.
Named to Eastern League All-Star team, 1988.
Led Eastern League in runs (74), 1989.
Led Eastern League in stolen bases (41), 1989.
Led Eastern League in sacrifice flies (11), 1989.
Led Eastern League second basemen in games (133), 1989.
Led Eastern League second basemen in putouts (242), 1989.
Led Eastern League second basemen in assists (369), 1989.
Led Eastern League second basemen in total chances (615), 1989.
Led Eastern League second basemen in double plays (85), 1989.
Named to Eastern League All-Star team, 1989.
-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide
Andrew Neal Stankiewicz "Andy" "Stankie" (IF) #17
Born August 10, 1964, in Inglewood, California, resides in La Habra, California. Height: 5-9, weight: 165. Bats right, throws right. Graduated from Pepperdine University.
Married, Mari Anna (2/1/92).
Major league service: 1 year. Opening Day age: 28.
MIKE HUMPHREYS
"Humphreys spent virtually the entire 1992 season at AAA Columbus, with two brief stints in Pinstripes. He started the year with the Clippers, getting recalled on April 24 when Danny Tartabull went on the disabled list. At the time of his recall, Mike was hitting .156 (5-for-32) with two RBIs through 12 games. He appeared in three games with New York, going 1-for-7 and starting twice in left field. He remained with the club for 13 days, being optioned back on May 7.
Back in Columbus, he hit .292 with three homers and 25 RBIs through 57 games. He was recalled by the Yankees for the second time on July 8. His second stint with the Yankees lasted 10 days, with Mike being optioned back on July 18. He played once with the Yanks, going 0-for-3.
Overall in Columbus, Humphreys hit .282 with six home runs, 46 RBIs and 37 stolen bases in 114 games. He had a five-hit game on August 8 at Toledo- that game tied the regular-season Clipper record for hits in a game. Mike hit .333 (12-for-36), leading the club in hits.
He finished first on Columbus in stolen bases, second in triples (6) and tied for third in runs scored (83). He led the International League in stolen bases and was tied for third in runs.
Mike signed a contract for the 1993 season.
Humphreys spent the majority of the 1991 season at Columbus, making two stints with the Yankees.
He started at Columbus and was recalled on July 29 with Jesse Barfield going on the disabled list. At the time of his promotion he was hitting .290 with seven home runs, 47 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. Mike appeared in 10 games in his first stint with the Yankees and went 3-for-22 with two RBIs before being optioned back to Columbus. Of his 10 appearances, four were starts (LF-2, RF-1, 3B-1) and five were as a pinch hitter.
Mike notched his first hit on August 11 against Detroit (Game 1), a single off Dan Gakeler. He also had a bases-loaded two-run single off Paul Gibson later in the game.
He was optioned on August 13. He was recalled from Columbus again on September 7 and appeared in 15 games (six starts) through the remainder of the season, hitting .278 (5-for-18).
Humphreys was obtained from the Padres on February 7, 1991, as the 'player to be named later' in completing the December 1990 trade that sent outfielder Oscar Azocar to San Diego. He appeared in 25 games for the Yankees, including 10 starts (LF-2, RF-2, 3B-4, DH-2). He hit .250 (5-for-20) against left-handed pitching and .150 (3-for-20) against right-handed pitching. Humphreys became the 700th Yankee that Phil Rizzuto either played with or broadcast.
Overall for Columbus, he hit .283 with 23 doubles, five triples, nine homers, 53 RBIs. He played both the outfield (101) and third base (21). Mike was selected for the AAA All-Star Game. His batting average ranked 12th in the International League.
Within the organization, he ranked tied for ninth in runs scored (71), ninth in total bases (177), tied for ninth in doubles and tied for fourth in stolen bases. He played winter ball in Venezuela.
He played for two Padres affiliates in 1990- Las Vegas (AAA) and Wichita (AA). Overall, he hit .272 with 22 doubles, four triples, 19 home runs, 85 RBIs and 99 runs over 128 games.
Mike spent most of the season with the Wichita Wranglers, hitting .276 with 21 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 79 RBIs, 38 steals and 92 runs in 116 games. He led the league in runs scored and was fifth in RBIs. He made only five errors in 113 games in the outfield.
He was named Texas League Player of the Week for May 7-13 when he hit .474 (9-for-19) with five runs over six games. He was named to the Texas League All-Star team and the Topps AA All-Star team and was named the Wichita club's Co-Player of the Year. He played in 12 games for the Las Vegas Stars and hit .238 with two homers.
Humphreys was the Padres' 15th-round pick in the June 1988 free agent draft. That year at Spokane he hit .307 with six home runs and 59 RBIs in 76 games. He tied for the Northwest League lead in game-winning RBIs (9) and tied for the league lead in putouts by an outfielder (180). In 1989, he played a full season at Riverside and hit .288 with 13 home runs and 66 RBIs.
He attended Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX) where he played three years of baseball (1986-88) and hit .382. Mike holds numerous school records including at-bats (578), runs (192), hits (221), home runs (41), RBIs (174) and total bases (392). He holds the school's single-season record for putouts by an outfielder (467).
In 1986 he was named to Baseball America's all-freshman team. He was named an all-conference outfielder in 1986 and '87 and an all-conference utility infielder in 1988, playing first base. Mike is working toward a degree in public relations.
Mike graduated from DeSoto (TX) High School. He played Little League in Dallas and DeSoto and Pony League in DeSoto. He played alongside Reds' prospect Steve Foster as a youngster. He enjoys playing golf in the off-season."
-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide
Led Northwest League in runs scored (67), 1988.
Led Northwest League in putouts, outfielders (180), 1988.
Tied for Northwest League in game-winning RBIs (9), 1988.
Tied for Northwest League in triples (5), 1988.
Named Texas League Player of the Week, May 7-13, 1990.
Led Texas League in runs scored (92), 1990.
Named to Texas League All-Star team, 1990.
Named to International League All-Star team, 1991.
Led International League in stolen bases (37), 1992.
Led International League outfielders in fielding percentage (.996), 1992.
-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide
Michael Butler Humphreys (Mike) (OF) #60
Born April 10, 1967, in Dallas, TX, resides in DeSoto, TX. Bats right, throws right. Height: 6-3, weight: 185. Attended Texas Tech University.
Married, Dawn (12/30/89).
Major League service: 70 days. Opening Day age: 25.
-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide
HENSLEY MEULENS
"By now Hensley Meulens should have been comfortably ensconced in the Yankees starting lineup, a power hitter right up there with the best in the American League, on his way to becoming a Yankee legend.
It hasn't happened.
After four years of shuttling back and forth from New York to Columbus, of switching back and forth from third base to the outfield, he's still Hensley Meulens the prospect. He's still the guy with tremendous athletic ability, enormous power, unlimited potential. The perennial prospect.
And he's still only 25, so don't retire him to the farm just yet.
Third base was supposed to be his last year, but Charlie Hayes came from Philadelphia in a trade and took the job away, and Meulens was sent once more to Columbus.
To his credit, Bam-Bam had a productive season at Columbus. Make that ANOTHER productive season at Columbus: 26 homers and 100 RBI, both tops in the International League.
That's three times he's knocked more than 95 runs in the minor leagues, three times he's hit more than 25 homers. He awaits his chance in the majors."
-The New York Yankees Official 1993 Yearbook
"Meulens competed for third base in spring training after spending most of 1990 and 1991 in the outfield. In 13 Grapefruit games, he hit .238 with four home runs (including two grand slams) and 11 RBIs. He was sent to Columbus on April 2. Meulens spent a full season at AAA Columbus before a September callup after the International League playoffs.
For the Clippers, Hensley hit .275 with 26 home runs and 100 RBIs in 141 games, becoming the third Clipper to drive in at least 100 runs, joining Brian Dayett and Tucker Ashford. He led both the IL and the Yankee organization in home runs, RBIs and runs scored (96). He also led the IL in total bases (257) and was second in games (141), third in at-bats (534), fourth in hits (147) and fourth in slugging percentage (.481). Among Yankee minor leaguers, Hensley was fourth in hits and fifth in doubles (28). He also stole a career best 15 bases. He was voted the best power prospect in the International League by Baseball America.
He played 128 games at third base and made 30 errors. He committed 21 errors at third in his first 61 games but only nine in his last 67 games. Hensley went 31 games without an error from June 20-July 21.
He hit his 100th minor league home run on June 14 at Scranton. Meulens also had a three-home run game on June 25 at Pawtucket, tying the franchise record shared by Torey Lovullo and Darren Reed, while also tying the club record with eight RBIs in that game. He earned International League Player of the Week honors for June 21-27. He was selected to the AAA mid-season All-Star Game and doubled in his only at-bat.
Recalled from Columbus on September 19, he played in two games for the Yankees. On September 22 against Detroit, he started the second game of a doubleheader at third base, his first major league start at the hot corner since August 29, 1989, and went 1-for-3 with a solo homer off Les Lancaster, his first hit and home run in the majors since October 2, 1991. He played third on September 27 against Toronto and went 2-for-2.
Hensley played winter ball in the Dominican Republic (Azucareros) and hit .254 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 16 games. He signed a contract for the 1993 season.
1991 was Meulens' first full season on the major league level. He had just 111 major league at-bats prior to 1991.
He was the Opening Day left fielder in Detroit, going 2-for-4. Overall he started 11 of the club's first 17 games, all in left field, hitting .205 (9-for-44) with four RBIs. Meulens struck out 16 times, batting .321 (9-for-28) when putting the ball in play.
He started 16 of the club's 27 May games, hitting .220 with three homers and six RBIs for the month. His first home run came on May 3 at Seattle off Brian Holman in his 49th at-bat of the season. On May 16 against California, Hensley notched his first career three-hit game, raising his season batting average from .205 to .237. On May 27 against Boston, he made his major league debut at first base, replacing an injured Don Mattingly. He followed that the next day with his first major league start at DH, also against Boston.
Hensley hit for his best monthly average in June- .282 (11-for-39), with six RBIs over ten starts ( LF-9, DH-1). Over his final six starts in June he went 8-for-23 with four RBIs, raising his batting average from .215 to .233. Meulens was hitting .225 with three home runs and 16 RBIs at the break.
From July 14-24, he hit in a season best five straight games (5-for-15); he capped the streak with a pinch-hit two-run homer on July 24 against Seattle off Rob Murphy. Meulens started 14 of the club's 31 games as a DH (7), in left (5), in right (1) and at first (1). He hit .224 in September/October, starting 14 games. He hit .219 (30-for-137) with three homers and 13 RBIs after the break.
Hensley started at four positions in 1991: left field (51), designated hitter (13), right field (11) and first base (1). He hit .239 (16-for-67) with runners in scoring position and was 3-for-9 with five RBIs with the bases loaded. He hit .236 against left-handed pitchers, .200 against right-handers, and .342 (13-for-38) on artificial turf.
He played Winter League ball in the Dominican Republic and hit .306 with two home runs and 16 RBIs over 21 games, playing the outfield.
Meulens had a tremendous season with the Columbus Clippers in 1990, hitting .285 with 20 doubles, 26 home runs and 96 RBIs. He was named International League Player of the Year, leading the league in total bases (245) and finishing second in home runs and RBIs. Meulens led the Yankee organization in home runs and total bases. With the Clippers he played the outfield (88 games), first base (32 games) and third base (15 games).
He also achieved International League Player of the Week honors for June 17-23 (.409, 4 HR, 9 RBI) and was Player of the Month for June (.309, 7 HR, 25 RBI). He was also named Topps International League Player of the Month for both June and July. Hensley was rated the No. 3 prospect in the International League in the Baseball America post-season rankings.
He had his contract purchased by the Yankees on September 9 and remained with the club through the end of the season. Upon promotion, Hensley played in 23 games of which 22 were starts (all in left field).
He started out hot, getting five hits in his first 10 at-bats. He had a big game against Texas on September 12, going 2-for-4 with his first major league home run (off Charlie Hough) and an assist on a play at the plate in the seventh inning.
Hensley went 1-for-20 from September 13-18, including an 0-for-16 skid. He broke out of the slump on September 19 at Toronto, going 2-for-4 with a home run off Jimmy Key.
From September 22-29, Hensley hit in a season-best seven straight games, batting .345 to raise his season average 50 points to .275. He had his big game on September 25 against Baltimore, going 2-for-5 with a home run (off Mike Smith) and four RBIs.
He hit .319 at home, .139 on the road, .290 against left-handers, .212 against right-handers. After the season he played winter ball in the Dominican Republic and led the circuit in hitting with a .338 (44-for-130) batting average with three home runs and 20 RBIs over 36 games.
Meulens began the 1989 season with the AA Albany-Colonie Yankees. He hit .257 with 11 home runs and 45 RBIs in 104 games. He was promoted to AAA Columbus on August 9 but still managed to finish tied for second on the Albany club in home runs and lead the Eastern League in hit-by-pitches (9). With Columbus, Meulens appeared in 14 games and hit .289 with four doubles, a home run and three RBIs. He was recalled by the Yankees on August 23 and spent the remainder of the season with them. He made eight consecutive starts (August 23-29) and then did not see action again.
On August 23, Hensley made his major league debut, going 1-for-3 against the Red Sox and getting his first major league hit, a 7th-inning single off Mike Boddicker. His only RBI came on August 25 against Baltimore, a 9th-inning single off Jeff Ballard driving in the lone Yankee run in a 3-1 loss. His only multi-hit game came on August 28, a two-hit effort against Oakland.
Meulens was signed by the Yankees as a free agent on October 31, 1985, by Yankee scout Fred Ferreira and was recommended by Yankee scout Dick Groch. He played 59 games in 1986, his first professional season, at 'A' Sarasota and batted .233 in 59 games with four home runs and 31 RBIs. He led the Gulf Coast League in strikeouts (66) while leading the league's third basemen in games (59), total chances (178), putouts (40) and assists (118). Meulens was named as the third baseman on the Gulf Coast League All-Star team.
He began the 1987 season at 'A' Prince William where he played 116 games and batted .300 with 76 runs, 23 doubles, 28 home runs, 103 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and 124 strikeouts. He led the Carolina League in home runs and led the league's third basemen in errors (37). Hensley was named to the 1987 Carolina League All-Star team as a utility infielder. He finished the season by playing 17 games at 'A' Ft. Lauderdale where he hit .172.
Meulens began the 1988 season at Albany-Colonie of the AA Eastern League and batted .245 in 79 games with nine doubles, 13 home runs and 40 RBIs along with 96 strikeouts. He was named as the starter at third base in the Eastern League All-Star Game. He started all 79 games at third base and committed 23 errors but did tie for the Eastern League lead in double plays by a third baseman (18).
He was promoted to AAA Columbus on July 5 and played 55 games with the Clippers, batting .230 with nine doubles, six home runs and 22 RBIs. Hensley played 54 games at third for the Clippers and committed 14 errors. He was added to the Yankees 40-man roster in November.
Hensley is a native of Curacao (part of the Netherlands Antilles, located in the Caribbean Sea) and still resides there. He speaks four languages: English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamento."
-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide
Led Gulf Coast League in games, third basemen (59), 1986.
Led Gulf Coast League in putouts, third basemen (40), 1986.
Led Gulf Coast League in assists, third basemen (118), 1986.
Led Gulf Coast League in total chances, third basemen (178), 1986.
Led Gulf Coast League in strikeouts (66), 1986.
Named to Gulf Coast League All-Star team (3B), 1986.
Led Carolina League in home runs (28), 1987.
Led Carolina League in errors, third basemen (37), 1987.
Named to Carolina League All-Star team (utility), 1987.
Tied for Eastern League lead in double plays, third basemen (18), 1988.
Named to Eastern League All-Star team (3B), 1988.
Led International League in hit by pitch (9), 1989.
Named International League Player of the Week, June 17-23, 1990.
Named International League Player of the Month, June 1990.
Led International League in total bases (245), 1990.
Named International League Player of the Year, 1990.
Named International League Batter of the Week, June 21-27, 1992.
Named to mid-season International League All-Star team (3B), 1992.
Led International League in home runs (26), 1992.
Led International League in RBIs (100), 1992.
Led International League in runs scored (96), 1992.
Led International League in strikeouts (168), 1992.
Led International League in errors, third basemen (30), 1992.
Named to postseason International League All-Star team (3B), 1992.
-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide
Hensley Filemon Meulens "Bam Bam" (OF-3B) #31
Born June 23, 1967, in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, resides in Coral Springs, Florida. Bats: right, throws: right. Height: 6-3, weight: 210.
Married Chantal (10/21/88), father of Marilese Aimee (4).
Major League service: 1 year, 88 days. Opening Day age: 25.
-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide
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